Announcing the New v.5 GEK Gasifier & Power Pallet

    

Now with up to 24hr run time, increased reliability and ease of use

Today we’re pleased to announce the new v5.0 GEK Gasifier and related Power Pallet.  Two years in development, the v5.0 represents a generational change in our core gasifier technology, incorporating all we’ve learned over the last five years of development and deployment.  For you, this means a significant advancement in performance, ease of use, and cost of operation/maintenance.  

All Power Pallets purchased from today forward will incorporate this new generation v5.0 gasifier and related auxiliary components.

The original modular GEK architecture has been an extremely powerful platform for rapid development and ongoing incremental changes.  However at this point our “final answer” is mature enough that we can optimize around a much more integrated design, with desired performance features hardwired in, all built via a manufacturing method that is ready for large scale production.  In short, we’ve completed the testing at scale, and can now deploy the solution at scale.

The result sunsets some of the DIY character that helped us reach this point, but replaces it with what we all really want from this technology: realistic “just works” usability, to support long runtime power generation installations.  DIY kits will continue, but with the core technology now solid, we want to direct more of our collaborative efforts to the many details of field deployments.  

As should be clear by now, we intend to move the needle on the global energy problem with small scale gasification.  The v5 GEK gasifier is our new foundation to do so.  The v5 GEK gasifier in a Power Pallet can now be considered a reasonable replacement for diesel generators, either as a stand alone energy platform, or forming the heart of a micro/mini-grid.  

December sale terms

Not surprisingly, we expect this new energy platform is going to be quite popular.  Indeed-after some previews to existing customers, several large projects have already claimed the majority of v5.0 production through March.  That leaves us with limited slots in Q1 for new 20kw Power Pallet production, and we still haven’t decided what the final pricing will be.

So, we’re offering the remaining slots at the old Power Pallet price until the end of December, with the added incentive of a 50% down payment.  In January the standard price for Power Pallets will increase.  Until then, we can take credit card or wire transfer to hold the old price and a Q1 production slot.

We’re also offering a significant one-time-only price reduction on multiple unit orders.  This incentive is offered only to customers in Non-EU countries, where CE certification is not a barrier to multiple unit deployments.  

Here are the terms:

        *     1-2 units: 50% down

        *     3-9 units: 25% down, 10% discount on equipment price.  

Package includes free onsite time for one technician to assist with installation and training at your site.  You still pay travel and board.  First two units completed in Q1, payment of balance and completion of the remaining units according to a pre-determined schedule.

        *      10+ units: 25% down, 15% discount on equipment price.

Package includes one of our technicians traveling to your site to assist with installation and training at no additional cost to you.  First two units completed in Q1, payment of balance and completion of the remaining units according to a pre-determined schedule.

Our intention is to incentivize you to actually start the larger scale deployments that so many of you have proposed to us. The new generation equipment is ready to move beyond demonstrations and pilot projects.  We can now make real the ROI you’ve modeled in all those business plans you’ve send us. . .Contact our sales specialist for your part of the globe via our Contact Form.

New Features and Functions

Below is a list of new features and functions of the v5.0 GEK Gasifier and related Power Pallet.  Explaining the details of each item is too much for one GEKnews, so today we’ll just cover the first and most important topic for most users: 24hr runtime.  We’ll step through the remaining topics in a series of GEKnews editions about the v5.0; one a week, for the next few weeks.

1. Longer runtimes (now up to 24 hrs)

Your most consistent request has been for longer run times.   At the beginning of this endeavor we though most would just want a few hours runtime for each start.  Turns out that most of you want these machines for base load, running all day, or even 24 hrs straight, with once a day cycle maintenance.   The new gasifier is redesigned to support this use scenario.

The most tricky aspect of this is a system that can remove charash from the reactor without shutdown or air/gas leaks.  Also needed is a solution more clever than a simple bottom taper boot and auger, which adds lots of height to the total system, making hopper filling more difficult.  

Shown below is our new constant ash removal system, with 24 hr catch can, which locates outside the frame of the Power Pallet for easy access.  Sanitary jaw clamp fittings similarly make it easy to disconnect and empty the ash can.  The bolted ash door is finally gone, and in its place just a bucket to empty.  Further exploration of the innards at the hearth is via a hand wheel door inspection port. 

 

The cyclone similarly now has a 24hr catch can, and more importantly, we’ve relocated it on the gasifier so that it comes out right at the side of the Power Pallet.  No more do you need to weave you arm through hot vessels and tubes to access the cyclone in the middle of the Power Pallet.   The cyclone is now right out in the open, with easy turn handles to twist the can on or off.

Hopper volume has similarly been upgraded about 75% from previous.  Depending on fuel used and power amount pulled, this will get you around 8-12 hours run time.  You can still open the top to refill while the machine is running, add fuel, and keep going for up to 24 hours.

We have not upsized to a full 24hr hopper as the resulting empty volume would be too large, and “puffs” from built up mixed gas would pose too much of a risk.  Without an airlock system, there is a limit to how large you can safely go with a batch hopper.  Too much volume and puffs become, well, very exciting.  We decided we could go near twice as large as we’ve been running previously and still be safe.  In doing so we’ve also added a much larger and better calibrated puff lid, as well as a good sealing fuel fill port.

Puffs are very rare with the GEK TOTTI architecture, as the “L” leg fuel path prevents open channels to the glowing char, and thereby prevents ignition pathways to hopper.  Puffs were and are a constant with standard vertical architecture closed top gasifiers, thus the large sprung lids on the original Imbert.  The TOTTI architecture has eliminated puffs as a regular feature of operation.  Nonetheless we do need to prepare for rare outliers, and design the system accordingly.  Such are the pleasures in moving from DIY curiosity to regular use consumer product.  

Lastly, the filter condensate volume remains a 24 hr catch as before.  

Thus with the v5.0 gasifier, we’ve finally rationalized all the output bins to the same full day/night run, and brought the hopper to around half of that.  Shutdown is not required to refill the hopper, but is required at the day maintenance cycle to empty the catch cans.

Next week we’ll continue with more new features and functions of the v5.0.   We expect to do one or two topics per edition, so this will take a few weeks.  In the interim, you can see the summary of what is to come via the outline below.

– jim mason
CEO, All Power Labs

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2. Increased fuel flexibility via “Reversed Flow Reduction”

• New compound hearth architecture: Downward combustion, Upward reduction

• Eliminate reduction bell packing by “fluffing” fuel with horizontal and vertical gas flow

• Active fines purge by mechanical agitation and motivated fluid flow

3. Improved general usability and maintenance

• Hand wheel side access port

• Cyclone relocated to open side of Power Pallet

• Most bolt flanges eliminated.  Replaced with twist on or level lock solutions

• Lower total reactor height for lower hopper and easier fuel fill

4. Increased materials longevity and reliability

• High temp 310 alloy hearth

• Thicker airlines in special 321SS alloy

5. Improved air and gas sealing

• Weld in hearth and air lines.  No mechanical joints in thermal sections

• Reduced flanges and bung penetrations

• All gasketing converted to high temp graphite packing rope

6. Increased gas energy density

• Full wrap insulation of all vessels

• Improved internal heat isolation between pyrocoil and air/gas annuli

• Increased reduction time with “reversed flow reduction”

• Improved gas cooling before engine

7. Improved Filtration

• New high efficiency cyclone design

8. Manufacturing efficiency

• Integrated pyrocoil and reactor vessel

• Mechanically formed flanges and bead stiffened vessels

• Seam welded vessels